Imo these pitfalls keep undermining what could be a powerful analysis:
1. It’s “about being a woman” but Elizabeth is treated like a prop that Shelley forgot to write, and repurposed into a love interest for her murderer or ignored entirely.
2. It’s “about being a woman” but Justine is erased or sidelined, ignoring the violence she faced for not fulfilling her murderer’s romantic ideal.
3. It’s “about being a woman” but Caroline is made into some vague background Angel of Motherhood, instead of enduring, rationalizing, and then perpetuating marital oppression.
4. It’s “about being a woman” while insisting that the Bride be created for the sole purpose of belonging to a man, with the sole purpose of making him happy.
5. It’s “about being a woman” and oh here we have “deadbeat mom” jokes laughing at the idea of physical and mental illness after giving birth with no support.
Like I can’t count how many times I’ve seen people insist that the only expression of a woman’s experience is through the Creature, simply because he is Other, and therefore a catch-all for every category of oppression…but then ignoring each and every story beat, every choice, and every action in the actual narrative. It’s valid to see your struggles reflected in fictional characters, but “the only struggles that matter are the ones reflected in my favorite character” is such a reductive and exhausting approach.
